


The Father’s Day Picnic

by Shamashe



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Confiding, Decor, F/M, Family, Fluff, Food, Fun, Games, Inspiration, Party Planning, Romance, Tenderness, fashion - Freeform, flirt, friends - Freeform, soul searching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2016-06-21
Packaged: 2018-07-16 09:06:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7261597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shamashe/pseuds/Shamashe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a softer side to Phryne and Jack's relationship.  They throw Jack’s American friend, John, an outdoor Father’s Day picnic - in June - Indoors at the Windsor.  It brings up issues for Phryne about her own father.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Father’s Day Picnic

**Author's Note:**

> Father’s Day started in America around 1910 and gradually caught on as a celebration in other countries like England within a few years. In Australia though, as in some other countries, it isn’t celebrated in June and it isn’t a formal “holiday.”  
> Food History: As far as I know, references to food and party stuff are accurate for their time. A current day picnic might have “hamburgers,” but they weren’t introduced as such in AU until the 1930’s. “Hot dogs” as a brand, were around, introduced by Oscar Meyer in 1929, but weren’t eaten as such in AU until later dates. The reference to Wieners is more like a sausage. Many American food companies, like Heinz, began in the late 1920’s and prepared condiments were in wide use internationally by 1930, though I don’t know if the Windsor would have used them. John, as a native Texan, refers to a BBQ as a picnic as opposed to a grilling style or sauce.

 

They had been baiting each other for half an hour. Tossing tidbits of recent cases back and forth. Playing with each other in a verbal thrust and parry only they understood. Just as Phryne was about to make another point, Hugh knocked and walked in with the mail.

Jack glanced at the assortment and then stopped at one letter in particular. Slitting the envelope, he quickly read the letter then put it in his jacket pocket, looking back up at Phryne.

“Something interesting, Jack?”

“Oh, just John Robertson, asking us to a special Father’s Day picnic.” He turned away to put the mail on the back shelf.  

"I’m always interested in a good picnic, but Father’s Day isn’t until September, isn’t June a little early to ask?”

Jack turned back and gave Phryne a sideways grin. “Early? Is this something the indomitable Phryne Fisher doesn’t know?”

Phryne suddenly had the uncomfortable feeling that she really didn’t know what he was about to tell her. She gave him a bright smile. “And what is it you think I don’t know?”      

Jack’s grin became an equally bright smile; in fact he was feeling rather smug. “You’ve been to America haven’t you?”

“You know that I have.”

“And you _are_ aware that they live in a different hemisphere aren’t you?”  

“Of course.”

“Then you _must_ be aware that _their_ Father’s Day is in June.”

“Well yes, but…”

“But what, Miss Fisher?” Raising his brow. “Surely _you_ know the date he’s talking about?” _That_ got him a glare.

“And what date would _that_ be, Jack?” Phryne’s voice began to take on that slight edge she got when ready to sum up a case.

“Don’t get peeved, Phryne, you might enjoy this!” She muttered something under her breath as she launched out of her chair.

Jack suddenly stood and walked to the side of his desk, leaning against the edge of it just as Phryne came around the corner of it to assume her usual perch. Not known to be clumsy, she almost fell across Jack’s legs, not having seen him move so swiftly. Righting her, he said with a smirk, “Uh, uh, Miss Fisher, beat you to it!”

She looked down at his outstretched legs and frowned. He put his finger under her chin and raised her head. She stared at him for a few seconds and then tilted her head. “Oh, all right then.” He gave her a soft look and pulled his feet in. She rolled her eyes and went back to her chair, almost plopping into it. He sat back in his desk chair and waited a moment. “Come on, Jack, what did John have to say?”

Jack’s lips twitched. “Well,” he took a letter out of his jacket pocket. “He said that since he has been abroad for several of the holidays this last year and was likely to still be in Australia through June, his family wants to come over and be with him on Father’s Day. Apparently, the children are out of school for a break and his wife ‘misses him terribly,’ so, they will be arriving in Sydney this week and he wants to bring them down to meet us.”

“That includes you, by the way!” Jack looked up to catch Phryne raising her eyebrows and nodding. “The consulate has agreed to put John and his family up at the Windsor in the Consular Suite. John’s mostly been working in Canberra, but also out of the Melbourne consulate on and off and has found a whole group of Americans who are working there too. Naturally, they want to celebrate their holidays together.

John’s asked us for help to set up a big Father’s Day picnic on Sunday next, so that whomever has family here can join together to celebrate their Father’s Day. Apparently, it is very similar to what we do. We’ve been invited to attend the celebration as he considers us ‘family.’ What do you say, Miss Fisher, care to accompany me?” Jack grinned again. “You do _like_ the Windsor as I recall?”

It took Phryne a moment to realize that he was teasing her and not returning to their previous debate. “Shall I wear Red, White and Blue, Jack?” She smiled.

Jack raised his eyebrows and lowered his voice, “I would think anything you wear would be unforgettable, Phryne!”

“Well, if we are to attend this, affair, I suppose I shall have to brush up on my American again. Shall we continue this later, Detective Inspector?” With that, she stood up, flung her fur across her shoulder and sashayed out in her usual fashion, leaving Jack to wonder if she was pleased or, in fact, peeved. Her moods were sometimes unpredictable and he guessed she liked it that way.

With a sigh and a small smile, he turned back to the work he had delayed whilst the Honorable Miss Fisher had been delaying him. Nearly three years now he mused and she still confounded, enthralled and amused him. He wondered what she would present to him next.

 

Just then, Hugh knocked again and popped his head in. “Call for you, Inspector. I believe it’s that American friend of yours.” Jack nodded, “Thank you Collins, I’ll take it here.”

“Robinson.”

“Jack, ole buddy, how _are_ you?”

“I’m just fine John, _where_ are you?”

“Oh, I’m still up here in the capitol, but I’m headed out to the coast tomorrow to pick up my family. Did you get my letter?”

“Yes, I just got it today.”

“Can you make yourself available for our little wing ding? My wife and kids are dying to meet you and your lady friend.”

“John!”

“Ok, I suppose Miss Fisher _would_ like to be addressed properly. I promise, I’ll be a perfect gentleman - well, as perfect as _I_ can be anyway.” Jack could hear the laughter in his voice.

“John, you _do_ know that it’s colder here in Melbourne don’t you? Unlike your cushier weather up there in Canberra, we are actually having winter weather here. We may even get snow! It’s not like June in Texas! Make sure your wife knows what to expect. You weren’t planning to go to the beach were you? Your kids might freeze.”

“Now that you mention it, I _do_ remember _something_ about it being upside down there, like those cakes! But us Americans are hardy, we’ll make due. You of _all_ people know that!”

“Well, yes, John, of course, but this is not France!”

“Thank God! Well, there’s only about 30 of us - maybe a few more with the families. We need some space to kick this thing off right. Maybe we can rustle up a barbeque pit or something? Do you think that park with the black swans might work? Do we need a permit or something? I expect I’ll get down there towards the end of the week and show my family around a bit. Maybe we can do some planning then, but most of the folks I’ve come to know are like me, they just bring any ole thing and make a picnic out of it. You know, ribs and wieners and chicken and such. You folks know what potato salad is?”

Jack was laughing at his friend’s descriptions. Though he’d been here before, he really was in for a surprise. “Tell you what, John, how about you leave the planning to us and we’ll surprise you when you get to town. I assume you’ll be able to get hold of your friends to let them know?”

“Well, of course. Last I heard, they were letting others know about it and when I get there, I should have a message at the hotel so I can contact them with the particulars. Damn nice of the consulate to let us use the suite isn’t it?”

“You certainly deserve it, John, after all the work you’ve put in. I’d call it due appreciation. Would you like me to meet you at the station?”

 "Thanks for the offer, Jack, but no. One of the consulate people has been assigned to us, some kind of security thing, you know.”

 “Unfortunately, yes, I do. Let me know if you need anything on this end. Otherwise I’ll talk to you when you get in. I hope your family enjoyed the trip over. I hear its gotten quite good.”

 “I sure hope so, otherwise, I’ll never hear the end of it. It looks like I’ll get to go back with them next month.”

 “That’s great news! Though I’ll certainly miss our visits here. Who knows, maybe someday, I’ll get over to the states?”

 “Well, just make sure you remember how to ride ole buddy. I’ve got a big ole ranch just waiting for you.”

 “We _have_ ranches over here, John!” He laughed. “And since when do you get back to Texas, you spend all of your time in Washington.” He heard a snort on the other end. “I’ll make sure to bring my boots.”

 “Those things! Those aren’t boots, what you need are cowboy boots - now _those_ are boots!”

 It was Jack’s turn to snort, then he said, “Oh, by the way, Miss Fisher would be upset with me if I didn’t ask you what the dress code is for your picnic. I would think something like what your wife would wear perhaps?”

“Well, back home, we’d wear bathing suits, but I suppose she could think of it as clothes fit for an outdoor or sporting event. Something casual, after all, it is about celebrating us men now isn’t it?”

Smiling, Jack said, “I’ll pass it along John, though I’ve never known her to lack for wardrobe choices.” They both laughed.

“Well, ole buddy, I guess I’ll see you next week.”

“Smooth travels, John. My best to your family.”

“Thanks, Jack, you too.”

As he hung up, Jack wondered for a moment how it would be to be a father. He had always wanted to be one, he liked children, but Rosie had never conceived. He adored his two nephews and had a good relationship with Jane and in some ways looked at Hugh like a son, but it was not the same as a child of his own. He couldn’t imagine Phryne ever having a child, but she certainly was a good mother to Jane. “Ah well,” he thought, “that counts too and I am fortunate to have them in my life.” Someday, he expected he would be an uncle or maybe a godfather to Hugh and Dot’s child. Time would tell.

He turned his attention to his now, long overdue work and settled in. He supposed he should call Phryne and tell her of his chat with John, but that could wait a few more hours until tonight, when he would drop by for a drink, maybe dinner. He smiled, thinking that he’d been doing a lot of smiling lately. It felt good.

 

Meanwhile, Phryne had left Jack’s office and headed home. She had to think. Part of her was still whirling from her encounter with Jack. He always set off a series of explosions within her. Part mental enjoyment, part exasperation, part curiosity and part lust. She was sure he had tripped her just to be able to catch her, but though she had acted irritated, she was actually flustered by it. She had expected to perch on his desk in her usual way and get exactly what she was after from him, but he had played his own game with her and not allowed it. When had he learned that? She would have to start paying more attention.

She changed her mind about heading home and drove directly to the library, where she sought out books about American traditions and about Father’s Day. If his friend John was coming to town again with his family, she wanted to be knowledgeable in every way that she could. It might be a normal occasion for him, but she was surprised by the Father’s Day invitation - and unprepared.

She _did_ know the date, but that was inconsequential. What was bothering her was that she had never actually celebrated a Father’s Day - with her father, or anyone’s father as far as she knew. She didn’t particularly consider fatherhood to be a celebratory state. Jack didn’t know this about her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to tell him. So she sat and read about it, thinking of questions she could ask Dot or maybe even Aunt Pru. Surely she could come up with enough background to bolster her lack of experience - after all, it was a relatively new tradition.

She liked John and wanted to join in and enjoy the party. But Phryne realized with a sudden jolt of insight, that she was nervous. NOT a state she recognized, except from her days with her father in the theater. His constant pressure to support something grand gave no thought to the extent of his daughter’s ability. She had come close to real peril a few times, but his quick concern was even more quickly diverted to some other thing or person that needed him.

No, she certainly didn’t have a sense of fatherly attention. And, of course, there were all the times of his drinking and abuse of her sensitive nature with acts of punishment that caused her to contract and turn from him - ultimately, causing her plunge into the war. She felt that she didn’t really know what fatherly love was; much less felt a need to celebrate it.

In recent years however, she had come to see it through the eyes of those she cared about and _that_ , she felt, was as close as she was going to come to feeling it herself. She wondered sometimes what kind of a father Jack would make. She had seen him with children and seen his careful attention to them. His nephews were a prime example of his loving nature. He was certainly good with Jane and even with the ragamuffin kids they found out on the street.

Jack was as close to her knowing what a good father would be as she had. She put down her book and came to a sudden conclusion. She trusted Jack and she _would_ ask him about this. If anyone would know, it would be him and he would protect her secret. She remembered seeing him with his own father and had seen them come to terms about his brother last fall. She grinned at the thought of the story of them both getting drunk and passing out at his mother’s house. So, she closed and set her books aside and went back out to her car to go home. On the way, she began to think about the “picnic” that John was proposing.

She knew that he wouldn’t have a good sense of the weather this time of year and might be thinking of holding an event outdoors, which would be a big mistake as far as Phryne was concerned. She started thinking of alternatives and decided to also talk to Jack about it later. He would probably be by tonight to have drinks and maybe dinner, as was his pattern of late. And then she had a thought.

She remembered Jack taking about how John and his family would be staying at the Windsor. Ten minutes later, she strolled into the lobby and asked for Mr. Davis, the Catering manager. Minutes after that, she was being escorted through the ballroom, discussing possible plans to transform it into an American picnic-themed event, with preliminary discussions of food, entertainments and decor.

With its domed skylights and naturally sectioned spaces, Phryne could envision how the Grand Ballroom was a place that could be made into a replica of an outdoor park. She reserved the entire space on the spot and asked Mr. Davis to get started with some ideas. As usual, Phryne was a force of nature, but he had worked with her before and once he fully understood her vision, he seemed most eager to create something so avant garde’.    

She drove home at last, feeling like she did have something to contribute after all. She would stage an event for the families to celebrate in. She knew the Windsor would provide excellent food and service and she looked forward to discussing the possibilities of how this could work with her household. It was another thing to add to her growing list of ideas to discuss with Jack too. As she sank into a hot bath, she smiled and closed her eyes.              

 

A day later, plans for the Father’s Day picnic were in full swing - providing amusement for not only Phryne’s household, but the staff at the Windsor as well. Mr. Butler was absolutely gleeful and even Bert and Cec joined in the discussion, given that they frequently picnicked. By the following day, the menu, décor and entertainments were decided upon and being readied.

The food would consist of: A sandwich bar - where the guests could choose bread, buns or loaves and their own fillings from a selection of meats, cheeses, vegetables and condiments, including relishes. They could make their own or have an attending chef make it for them.

There would also be “Fried Chicken” and “Wieners” as well as a small, attached grill (or “barbeque”) for “Ribs” - these being pre-cooked, but thrown on the grill at the last minute (for effect) with a “BBQ” sauce of their choice. Technically, it wasn’t a “barbeque,” but everyone involved agreed that it would have to serve as one, given the nature of the outdoors- brought-indoors theme.  

There would be side dishes like: Deviled Eggs; “Corn on the Cob”; Potato, Fruit and 3 Bean Salads; Greens and Mixed Vegetables; Baked Beans; a “Vat” of Pickles; and “Chips” - known to the Americans as “French Fries.”

For dessert, there would be a prominent Pineapple Upside Down Cake (meant to be a joke about being down under). Also, there would be a selection of: Chocolate Cake, Apple Pie, Strawberry Shortcake, assorted Fruits and a carnival style cart filled with Ice Creams and Syrupy Ices.

There would also be a special area for fathers and daughters or fathers and sons to enjoy making “S’mores” - a popular American Girl and Boy Scout concoction of Graham Crackers, Hershey’s Chocolate and Marshmallows. This area would be ingeniously made to look like a wooded campfire, with a grill inside of a stone circle and boulders to sit on while they twirled marshmallows on “sticks” over the grill to then sandwich between the chocolate and the Graham Crackers. It would be a nice way to share the experience together.

For Drinks, there would be: Beers, Wines and Alcohol as well as Coffee, Tea, Cider, Sodas and a special bowl of Fruit Punch, in which floated iced local fruits and mint. There was also regular Lemonade and small bottles of Milk for the children.

There would be wooden picnic tables scattered throughout the room, with checkered tablecloths and small hampers holding jugs of chipped ice, basic condiments, utensils and checkered, cloth “napkins,” as the Americans called them. Various flowering plants and balloons would be placed among the tableware for decoration. Phryne was going to give everyone their own, small picnic hamper as a gift, so all the group had to do was bring their hamper plates and glasses over to the food tables and fill them with picnic goodies. Then, they could take home their prizes and any leftovers they wanted in their hampers.          

As they discussed the décor for the room, Hugh claimed that he had a contact at Luna Park who might be able to provide some equipment for the children to play on and suggested that they set up an additional area or room for them. Phryne had contacted Dulcie and asked if any of the unused circus amusements were available. And, Sampson was in town. He stopped by to see Phryne and ended up offering a few small ponies for rides if Phryne wanted to use them. _That_ idea was considered, but turned down by the management of the Windsor! However, Sampson volunteered to stick around and help set things up.      

Surprisingly, Jack offered a number of outdoor decorative items, saying that a friend of his was a landscaper who recently had a client who cancelled building an outdoor parlor and greenhouse. He was subsequently stuck with an order of oversized, bright green area rugs, woven with a grassy pattern and a big order of large potted trees and flowers. He told Jack that he could get his crew to install it. Phryne thought of simply buying the order, but was told that the Windsor owners were interested in using it and were going to purchase the lot of it after the party.

All in all, it was shaping up to be a grand event. “Worthy of a Texan!” Jack quipped to Phryne. Even the staff at the Windsor got involved, several of whom, apparently, used to be clowns. Phryne worked it out with Mr. Davis to use them at the carnival entertainments as well as using the house band.

 

This all got started the night of the letter. Jack did come to dinner and Phryne asked Hugh and Dot to join them. Then Bert and Cec showed up the next morning and with Mr. B, added to what had become a lively planning session over dinner the night before. After Hugh was escorted out by Dot, Phryne settled in with Jack to discuss the day’s events.

“Dinner was excellent, Phryne, as always, thank you!”

“And you are always welcome, Jack, whenever you want. You have become a part of this family you know.”

Jack smiled and accepted a glass of Phryne’s very fine Whiskey saying, “And what is your preference tonight?”

“A talk, Jack.” At his questioning look, she circled the room and sat down near him on the couch, tucking her feet up under her. He waited. “I would like to know what you think about Father’s Day?”

“You do?”

“I do.” Phryne paused and took a gulp of her drink and a deep breath and then just blurted out her question. “You see, I really have no experience with celebrating it and I thought you could tell me of your experiences and how you think of it and what you know about it and if you like it and if you feel it’s worth it and would you do it at all if it weren’t now a celebrated occasion and…”

“Phryne?” She paused and looked at him.

“For the first time since I’ve known you, you seem nervous and you’re beginning to babble. Is there a point to this?” She nodded slowly. “You know you can ask me anything, don’t you?” Another nod, eyes down. “Phryne, look at me, what is it you want to know?”        

She looked at him with the eyes of a child for a moment. Then, the woman he knew well. “Jack, all this about Father’s Day has made me think. I really don’t know how to celebrate this. I never had this kind of relationship with my own father.”

“So you want me to tell you about my father?”

“Not exactly, but I realize that I’m treating this like any other party, yet I know there’s an emotional element to it that I’m just not a part of and I don’t want to pretend that I am. I thought perhaps, you could share your experience with me.”

“I’d be glad to Phryne, but I also have a question for you.”

“A question?”

“Yes. This ‘emotional’ component’ you speak of. Do you think you are the only one who lacks it?”

“No, of course not. I would think that orphans and abandoned or abused children are the same way. They wouldn’t have received the love and care that a good father would have given them.”

“Do you consider yourself to be the same as them?”

“No. Yes. Oh, I don’t know sometimes. It’s all confused. When my father was here, I was so angry with him that I didn’t see the love he had for me until he was in danger and I felt the love I had for him. But all those years of not having it and of wanting it have left me, perhaps, unable to recognize it. It doesn’t seem fair to go to this party and pretend I know what they feel.”

“I understand, Phryne.” Jack’s voice lowered and was very tender.

“You do? But you’ve had the love of your Father, Jack. It’s not the same.”

“But so have you, Phryne. You just said so.”

“Yes, but…”

“Phryne, just because someone has been hurt or deprived, doesn’t mean that they are incapable of love or of recognizing love. Many people feel deprived of fatherly love. Think of all those poor youngsters who lost their fathers in the war. It doesn’t make the lack more acceptable, just because there was a good reason and it doesn’t make them unloving adults. Many people have no reason at all to feel that they didn’t have their father’s love. They are just children, young or old, of fathers who didn’t know how or couldn’t be caring, responsible, loving fathers. Their fathers themselves may not have had such fathers.”

“That makes sense.”

“It’s more than sense, Phryne. Family is complicated sometimes. They can be so much more than you would ever think, but also they can let you down and hurt you terribly. Even if you love them, it can feel sometimes like you don’t. I love my father, but when my brother died, he shut me out and blamed me, even though I had nothing to do with it. It hurt me and it kept me away from him. But I came to find out that he was hurt himself and felt regret about shutting me out. We finally made up because we both allowed each other to accept our hurt and our love. I saw that with you and your father too. You may not feel loved by him, but you certainly expressed concern that he might be harmed and that was loving of you.”

“Yes, that did surprise me.”

“Father’s Day is not about the perfect father and you don’t have to pretend that it is. But you certainly recognize what a father means to a child and that is something worth celebrating as it does exist for many. I have often wished that I became a father, but it was not to be. Yet I celebrate fatherhood as a way to pass on the potential best in a person. Even, sometimes, just having children around me that I can help or train or show a good or better way is fulfilling. You don’t have to be a father to be a father figure and sometimes that is a special thing too, just look at my nephews.”

“It’s not like you to be so forthcoming, Jack.”

“I’m not often in the position of being able to do so. It means a lot to me that you asked me about this. Did I tell you what you wanted to know?”        

“I think so. I think I have a lot to think about.”

“Phryne, sometimes it isn’t about thinking, it’s just about feeling. You are one of the most loving people I know. Just look at how you have created a family here and even become a mother to Jane. Those things aren’t about thinking, they are about feeling and the people around you are loyal and loving of you because you are the same with them and with me.”

Jack looked away and sipped his drink because he felt the prick of tears. When he looked up, he saw Phryne dabbing her eyes. They held their slightly watery gaze and with a nod, started to smile. At just that moment they heard Dot come through to go up the stairs. She hesitated and then poked her head around the door - they motioned her to come in.

 

“Oh, Miss, Inspector, I just wanted to thank you for inviting Hugh and I over for dinner. It was such a wonderful night. We’re both looking forward to helping you with this party. It sounds so exciting. I would even consider making a picnic for my own father if he were around. He might have liked it.”

Phryne looked at Jack, Jack looked at Phryne and they both burst out in chuckles. Dot looked confused. Phryne said, “Dot, you are wonderful and I am so glad you enjoyed yourself.”

Dot smiled cautiously, nodding. “Well then, I’m going up, is there anything I can get you before I go?”

Jack said, “Thank you, Dot, no and I’m glad you’ve enjoyed yourself too. I trust Hugh got away ok?”

“Oh yes, Inspector, he’s _just_ fine.” She sighed, “Well good night then.”

“Goodnight, Dot.” They both said together. As she left, Phryne started to get up, but Jack put his hand on her shoulder. She stopped, turned and heard him say softly, “Thank you!”

“You already thanked me.”

“Phryne, it’s not like you to miss the point!” He waited, “Thank you for trusting me and confiding in me.”

She put her hand on his and, after a moment, patted it. “I do trust you, Jack.” She looked up and then got up. He took his cue and also got up. “Well, it’s late, I’ll be going.” As she walked him to the door, she stopped and touched his arm, looking up at him. “And thank you too.”

They leaned into each other and just stood, absorbing the moment. Then Jack cleared his throat and turned to leave. He touched her cheek for a moment and said gently, “Good night, Phryne.”

 

Phryne, Jack, Dot, Hugh, Mr. B, Mac, Bert and Cec all stood and looked at the end result of their efforts before heading off for a celebratory lunch. The Father’s Day event was tomorrow, but they had all contributed to setting things up in some way and when the Windsor staff was through, they went into the room for a sneak peak.

It was an amazing transformation. With all the lights on above and the sun streaming in through the domed skylights to reflect off the mirrored walls, the Grand Ballroom looked like an outdoor park on a sunny day. The multiple large green rugs made the floors seem like grass and the greenery and benches had been grouped and placed to make parts of the room into natural alcoves. There was even a gazebo in the center of the room for the band and a wrap around dance floor, for those so inclined. Above the Gazebo was a big, double sided sign saying, “Happy Father’s Day!”

All around the edges of the room were the food tables and specialty carts. At one end, were various carnival booths and amusements, including the Winsor “clowns.” At the other, was the campfire S’mores site and a photography area where families could get a commemorative portrait taken.

The whole room was so intricately woven together that it had a natural flow to it. It had the feel of having entered a big park that just happened to have a small carnival going on. Two smaller adjacent rooms had also been set up as playgrounds and sporting areas. More green rugs were laid down and the rooms cleared of furniture.

One room was filled with slides, teeter-totters, small swing sets and a cute merry-go-round for the little children. They had room to run in herds with their Pony sticks and they could play “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” and make paper airplanes with a contest for who could throw it the farthest. There were also some small tables where they could make their own Father’s Day cards with coloring crayons. There were several large stuffed animals to hug and an area padded with blankets and pillows, where they could take a nap if they wanted to. A nanny would be on hand to supervise them.

In the other room, there were all sorts of sports type games, like a miniature bowling alley, table tennis, a putting green and even a small, enclosed pool for sailing model boats. “Fishermen” could cast their small rods to see if they could latch on to toy fish, floating in another small pool. There was a model train set running around one end of the room and tables set up to construct houses out of Lincoln Logs or Tinker Toys. Several easy Jigsaw Puzzles and decks of Cards and Cribbage Boards were on tables with sets of Checkers, Chess and Backgammon, but the hotel wouldn’t allow a dart board for safety reasons. Several of the staff would be on hand to provide the equipment. There would even be a house doctor available in case someone had a reason to need one.     

In the hall in-between, the families could participate in various races like the “three-legged race,” for which there were gunny sacks available; and the “water in the spoon” race, for which, large spoons and glasses of water were available.

The group agreed that there wasn’t anything else to be added except to pick up some small prizes for the games. Dot and Hugh were going to visit a toy store later in the day to purchase whatever seemed appropriate and drop it off. The Windsor staff would handle any other last minute details before the group arrived tomorrow.

Phryne looked around one last time and dusted her hands together with a big smile saying, “Well, ladies and gentlemen, I believe our work here is done!” Everyone started clapping and then they all trouped out to go celebrate their success over lunch.

 

Later that evening, Jack brought John and his family over to Phryne’s house. John greeted her warmly and introduced his wife and children. Phryne and John’s wife, Emily, took an instant liking to each other and began to chat. As they were being seated, John said, “Now this is familiar.” Then he turned to his children and said, “The last time I was here, Miss Fisher managed to create a downhome Thanksgiving for me. Do you remember me telling you about that?” They nodded, still somewhat shy. Then John’s daughter said to Phryne, “Miss Fisher, do you hold your Thanksgiving party here every year? At home, we go to our grandparent’s house every other year and then they come over to our house for Christmas.”

Phryne smiled at the girl’s precociousness. She looked at John, who nodded, then said, “Here in Australia, we don’t have a Thanksgiving like you do in America. We don’t have the same history as you do with the Pilgrims and such. But I did throw a party for your father last year when he was here, to welcome him into our family and celebrate us all being together. We included your family in our thoughts and had an American/Australian feast with a bit of your foods and a bit of our foods too. I figured fair was fair. Your father hadn’t tasted some of our dishes and we hadn’t tasted some of yours. So everybody got to experience an American Thanksgiving thanks to your father. And the whole point was for him to be surrounded by people’s families so he wouldn’t miss you so much. It was interesting and fun and we were all full and happy and very, very thankful for our blessings. That’s a good reason for a party isn’t it?” John’s daughter smiled and nodded.

Then John’s young boy piped up and asked, “Do you have Christmas here? Does Santa come and visit you?” This time, it was Jack who answered. “We do have Christmas here, but we have a secret, do you want to know what it is?” Little heads were nodding. “We get to have two Christmases’ here.”

“Two Christmases’, gosh!”

“Well, you see, we live in a different part of the world than you do back home. Our seasons are different than yours. When it’s cold where you live, it’s hot here, like at Christmas. But when it’s cold here, it’s hot where you live, like now, in June. So we _do_ celebrate Christmas the same as everybody else, but we usually go to the beach or to the park because it’s hot here in December. Then, when it gets cold here, it can snow and that’s when we celebrate again. We call it Christmas in July!”

“Gosh!”

Jack smiled. “It’s the same thing as now, for Father’s Day. It’s cold outside isn’t it?” More nodding. “But where you live, it’s hot now. For you, it’s the beginning of summer - but we are the opposite of you and for us here, it’s the beginning of winter. So we celebrate similar holidays, but some of them just come at different times of the year because of the seasons. We celebrate Father’s Day in September, when it’s the beginning of spring for us, but for you, that would be the beginning of fall.”

John’s son was nodding, but he looked puzzled. “Does that mean that you get to celebrate Father’s Day twice too?”

Jack smiled again. “Well, this is a special year because your father is over here and so are you, so we decided to celebrate Father’s Day early this year, just for him and your family.”

John’s son was smiling. “Gosh, that’s awfully nice of you.” Everyone at the table was smiling and nodding.

Jack continued, “Tomorrow, you’ll get to go to a special Father’s Day picnic we’ve set up for you, where you can eat American food and play games and have lots of fun. You see, we celebrate almost the same way you do and we wanted to share it with you and all the other American families that your father knows here. I hope you like it.”

“Will you and Miss Fisher be there too?”

“We sure will, Todd. I’m looking forward to it. And I hope you’ll be surprised by all the fun treats we have in store for you.”

Just then, Mr. Butler announced and brought in the dinner and the conversation turned more to general topics. But John’s two children were looking at him with a different level of observation. They knew his job was important and took him all over the world, but this was the first time they had been to a place so far away and had seen how he was treated by others like him – seen how others cared about him. It was the beginning of a lifelong respect they both had for their father and they were learning it here. They knew he had been in the war, but they had never met anyone he knew from the war. They decided they liked Mr. Robinson and Miss Fisher and they were excited about going to the party tomorrow and meeting the other children. They felt like they were being treated as being old enough now to be included in some kind of diplomatic community and they were eager to get to know some of the children who were like them.       

 

When they were leaving, Jack asked John if everyone had been told where and when to meet. John said that he contacted the consulate as soon as he arrived and they had spread the word. He laughed, saying, “The kids were really impressed that I started getting messages one after the other right after we got to our suite. It made me look really important in their eyes.”

“They are great kids, John, I’m really happy you were able to bring them tonight to meet Miss Fisher.”

“Do you still call her Miss Fisher, Jack? I though things had progressed with you two?”

“Old habits die hard, my friend. And yes, they have progressed and I hope even more now. We work together a lot, so we have that and I socialize with her periodically and even step out with her now and then, but each time we work on a special event, it seems to bring us closer in a different way. Probably the commonality of our cause, but lately, things have been shifting, so we will see. You can rest assured that I will tell you if anything changes radically.”

“Like you two getting married?”

“Well, maybe not _that_ radically, but perhaps steps in between. You never know with her.”

"That say’s a lot, Jack, she is a pistol, but she’s got a good heart and she cares for you. I hope you both find what you want.”

“Thank you, John. And I must say that your wife is utterly charming. I’m so glad I finally got to meet her. I’m happy for you, you both seem well suited.”

“Yup, she is the pick of the litter, all right, but don’t ever let her know I said that. It’s kind of a joke between us. You and I both know that it’s difficult to move past a first marriage. But I feel more in love and more amazed by her with every passing day. I miss them when I’m gone, so them coming over here is very special to me – and to them, I hope! And so is this celebration we’re going to have. Phryne told me that it’s a surprise.”

“Yes - and you won’t be getting it out of me either!” Jack smirked.

“Well, ole buddy, I guess I’ll just have to wait and see then. So let’s round up my bunch and be saying good night. I think I see that car they sent for us waiting across the street.”

 

Phryne and Jack stood at the door waiving good night to John’s family. Phryne turned and asked Jack, “Would you like a nightcap? John brought me a lovely bottle of French Champagne.” She grinned.

“I think not tonight, Phryne, thank you though. Let’s save it to celebrate together, just you and I.” He gave her a soft look and stood stroking her arm. “It’s been a long day and we’ve got a big day tomorrow.” He stepped in a bit and brought her towards him. “John said something to me tonight about you having a good heart - and you do. You said you were treating this like any other party, but I think you have more heart in this now than you may think. Those families tomorrow are going to be profoundly affected and they really have you to thank for it. Anyone can set up a picnic, but you have a gift for setting up very special events and people are touched by it. Even John’s children tonight were touched by your specialness. I know I was. I always am.” He leaned in and kissed her tenderly. “I enjoyed dinner tonight, thank you.” Then he pulled back and took his coat and hat and started to leave. “Pick you up at noon or twelve-thirty?”

“I think noon, Jack, the invite is for one, but people are sure to come a bit early and I want to make sure everything is in place.”

“Noon it is then, Phryne. And I’ll look forward to seeing what you’ve finally decided to wear.” He grinned.

“Well, you never did answer me about _your_ choice.”

“It will just have to remain a surprise, Miss Fisher, you _know_ about everything else.” And with that, he turned and made his way to his car. Leaving Phryne standing there, wondering, when he had started getting in the last word. He knew it and he chuckled about it all the way to his car.

 

The following morning dawned clear and cold. Phryne’s first thought was how pretty the ballroom would look with the bright sun streaming in. She yawned and stretched and waited for Dot to bring her a cup of coffee. She thought about the day and about Jack last night.

Once she was up and about, she chose her outfit carefully. She had a sense of how the other women might dress and didn’t want to over dress too much. She also thought about the many activities that were planned that she might engage in, so the outfit would need to be practical. She finally settled on her favorite long navy jacket with the white embroidery, navy trousers, a white silk shirt, a navy and white striped belt, navy and white high topped spectators and a navy hat with red tinged white feathers. It would have looked nautical except for the long red and white scarf that she made into a loose version of a man’s tie and left to hang down the front of the outfit. She flung a navy wool shawl trimmed in fox around her and was ready to go with her navy leather clutch and red gloves.

Jack almost whistled when he saw her. She was the epitome of stylish, casual chic. “So you did decide to wear red, white and blue after all! You look beautiful, Phryne.” Jack’s voice lowered, “But then, you always do!”

Jack had chosen to wear a dark blue casual suit with a patterned sweater over a white shirt and no tie; he planned to take off his jacket after he got there. Phryne remarked that he looked _very_ handsome and softer without his usual suit. Jack said, “You’ve seen me in my casual clothes before.”

She remarked, “Yes, but I’ve not stepped out with you in them before.”

“Is that what we’re doing here today, Phryne, stepping out?” He grinned and so did she.

As he escorted Phryne to his car, he had an adolescent feeling of being proud to have her on his arm. He was a in a good mood and looking forward to sharing the event with her. He planned to whisk her off into a dance and maybe even make some of those S’mores with her. He was proud of her for overcoming her parental issues and creating an event that the families would enjoy. But mostly, he was just happy to be with her. Not on a case and not in any official function, just there with her. He looked forward to the comments John would most certainly have later.

 

As they walked into the Windsor, they noticed several groups standing or sitting as though they were waiting. Jack assumed these were the guests of the party. He and Phryne went into the Grand Ballroom and it was even more beautiful dressed out with the food and uniformed band members and carnival characters and clowns. The lighting was perfect. Everything was where it should be and was working correctly. Mr. Davis came in for a moment to check off a few last minute details with Phryne. And he told them that he had a surprise for them. Apparently, the head confectioner was married to an American and he wanted to be a part of this party, so he was offering to bring taffy for later, to show how it was made and have a taffy pull contest with gifts of it to the guests.

Jack smiled and told Phryne that he used to go to the seashore with his sister and brother and go to the taffy vendor where they would get into three-way taffy pull and get it all over them. Phryne smiled when she heard that. She too had gone down to the sea and pulled the taffy that the vendors had for sale. He looked at her and she looked at him and they both knew that they would be pulling taffy today. It delighted them both.      

 

And then it was time to start. Jack and Phryne went out to the entrance and saw that people had formed a queue and more were headed their way. Several of them were waving little American flags. John walked over and greeted them and held up his hand for quiet. He said in his booming voice.

“These two people are responsible for this Father’s Day picnic. If not for them, we would probably be huddled out in the cold over a campfire. But they decided to do it up right and have thrown us a wing ding of a party so that us visiting Americans can have a piece of home right here in their fair city.

So let’s hear it for my friends, Detective Inspector, Jack Robinson and the Honorable, Miss Phryne Fisher.” He turned to them and said, “Thank you so much for showing us your hospitality and throwing us a big ole BBQ.” There was a round of applause. He turned back to the crowd, “Is everybody here? Is everybody ready?” The crowd yelled, “Yes!” And at a signal from Mr. Davis, the doors to the Grand Ballroom of the Windsor Hotel opened for the Americans to enter.

At first there was silence as they looked around the sparkling room, then there were oohs and aahs and everybody started talking at once. The band started playing a quiet selection of popular American music and the guests either wandered or were shown around to the various features. Laughter and giggles broke out here and there and there were shouts of, “Ooo look at this…” “Daddy, can we do that?” A few children were running around, but they were mostly corralled by their parents and began to find places to sit. There were about 80 people, including children, so there was plenty of room for them to sit and chat and indulge in various entertainments.

As people started to go to the food tables, there were exclamations of how beautiful it was and how good the food looked. And outbursts of “Oh, that’s my favorite!” Sometime after that, there were periods of low chatter and relative silence when people were busy eating and drinking.

John found Jack and Phryne and asked if they would like to join them. Their family had chosen one of the alcove spots and it was lovely to sit under the trees and listen to the band and just enjoy the atmosphere. Everybody was happy. There was lots of laughter and excitement.

 

Jack asked Phryne if she wanted to go get some food. So they wandered off and John’s wife commented about how they seemed closer today than last night. “John, did you say something to Jack?”

“I might have Em, but Jack knows his own mind and so does Phryne - they are just moving slowly. Mostly, I think they are relaxing and enjoying themselves. This is probably like a date for them, so we need to stop matchmaking. They already know what they want.”

Truer words were never spoken, as the saying goes. Jack tugged Phryne into a short spin of a dance on their way to the food tables and Phryne responded in kind, holding him close at times and laughing with him. It was so good to hear him laugh. They both felt the romance in the air and were happy and relieved that this picnic was such a hit with the families.

Jack spied his favorite combination of chopped ham and pickles and decided to make his own sandwich. Phryne walked up to him, smiling. He said, “By any chance did you include this just for me?”

“I did, do you like it?”

He took a bite and closed his eyes to savor it for a moment, swallowed and said, “Mmmm, this is almost as delicious as you are!” At her theatrically “shocked” expression, he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “But not quite.”

She chuckled, “Well, you’re feeling lively today, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Miss Fisher, I certainly am. This is delightful and I am here with you. All is right with the world in this moment. I’m enjoying myself.”

“And you’re quite the chef too, I see. That is some sandwich you’ve constructed.” They both looked down to see that Jack had been adding a little of this and a little of that and unconsciously had created a plate that looked like a piece of art. Jack smiled and took another bite.

 

Phryne wandered around the food tables selecting food she was not as familiar with. The chef had taken a set of the ribs and shredded the meat (for the ladies) and Phryne took an instant like to her first taste of “Texas BBQ.” She had, of course, eaten meat that had been barbequed, but not like this with the tangy sauce.

She also tried corn on the cob, again, not a way she’d ever had it. She went to take a sample bite and found herself struggling to keep the running butter and juices from getting all over her. The chef noticed and simply sliced the corn kernels off the core and gave her a plate of them. He commented that he should do this for all of the ladies. Phryne quite agreed.

She gathered a few more items and went to sit with John’s wife, Emily who commented about the corn and said that she would start doing that from now on. They both looked at each other and laughed about how it was always the simple things that they didn’t think of.

Phryne didn’t usually talk about food, as she didn’t usually cook for herself, but she was interested in how Emily blended her traditions together. She said that she liked to cook and had an agreement with her chef to allow her to cook at least one full meal each week and the occasional holiday. She made dishes that her mother and grandmother had made and also introduced her children to food from other countries as much as she could. They did travel with John at times, so she tried to bring food items, or at least recipes home from wherever they had been. She wanted her children to learn to cook and not just depend on someone else doing it for them. She felt that it connected the family. Fortunately, both of her children enjoyed it and were “getting pretty good at it.”

As Phryne sat there listening, she realized that she didn’t really have this kind of a relationship with other women. She had “friends,” but many of their discussions were social, or gossip, not personal, except for Mac and they didn’t talk about family matters. Dot was as close to her as anyone, but no matter how relaxed their relationship was, there was always the line of employer/employee there.  

Phryne was comfortable in the roles of both her title and her work. She could also relate well to those less fortunate than her, having grown up that way. But she didn’t really have much opportunity to be friends with women who were just as privileged, but more “normal” and down to earth. She liked John’s wife and found herself thinking of how Janey would have been as a woman. Then she heard Emily say something about John and the war and it brought her back instantly.

 

“Phryne, I may never get another chance to tell you this, but I want to thank you for saving John’s life. He told me about the “Thanksgiving” dinner and how you both remembered how you had met each other. I hadn’t met him yet. During the war, he was still married, but I wouldn’t have ever met him or had a family with him had it not been for you. I am grateful that I’ve met you now and can see for myself the spirit and the grace you have. Beyond the care you gave him, your very nature would have been a comfort to him.

He was quite impacted by going to your party you know. He was feeling low from the negotiations and it was a touch of home for him. He also had the chance to reconnect with Jack. They are so much closer than probably either of us knows. I think you can only have that through the kinds of shared experiences they both went through. You know that Jack was in intelligence don’t you, like John was – he and John both risked their lives so many times to bring about an end to that ghastly war. He told me after your party, that he felt something lift in him that he didn’t know he had been carrying around. I appreciated so much that you went out of your way to throw him a party, simply because he was Jack’s friend. It’s funny how the things we do sometimes have such an impactful rollout isn’t it?”

Phryne felt she start to tear up and turned to her meal for a moment. She heard Emily ask her about her trip to America, but had to ask her what she had said. Emily looked at her and put her hand on her arm and said. ”I feel like we are old friends Phryne. Forgive me for going on. I just don’t get the opportunity to talk to other women like me much. You know how it is, they are either socialites or teachers or staff and not really open to personal chats.” Phryne looked up and smiled.

“I’m so glad that John has you, Emily. He is a wonderful man and he deserves you. Jack thinks the world of him. Now, having met you, I can see why John spoke of you with such longing and love. I was just thinking back to that party and how much emotion was present - just because we were all there and a part of the festivities. Jack and John and I had a shared history, but I think the true thankfulness was that we were alive and safe and loved. I may start a tradition of having a Thanksgiving party, just to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for. Of course, it won’t be the same without John there to tell all his stories. Jack’s nephews were mesmerized and now they want to be cowboys. This was meant to be and I too, am so glad that we met. I look forward to keeping up with you.”

They heard their names being called. Emily said, “Well, here they come, so we had better be ready for their shenanigans. John and Jack are like a couple of kids when they get together aren’t they?” Phryne nodded.           

 

Jack asked Phryne if she wanted to sample the desserts. John and Emily went with them. John started to laugh when he saw the prominent “upside down cake.” “Very funny, Jack, now the question is, do I cut it up or cut it down?” Well, that depends Captain, “Do you have your saber with you?” They both burst out laughing, causing others to look their way. Phryne and Emily just looked at them and then at each other. Phryne said with a grin, “It must have been some saber!” And they both started laughing again. “Oh it was Phryne, it certainly was!” Emily looked at Phryne and they both shrugged their shoulders. “Men!”        

When they stopped laughing, Jack and Phryne sampled a little of each of the desserts. Jack went for the Ice Cream and Phryne declared that she had never tasted such a good “Ice.”

They strolled over to the carnival area and joined in on some of the games. Phryne beat Jack at throwing sand filled balls at bottles and Jack beat Phryne at the ring toss. They were each given little trinkets as prizes. The clowns were tossing batons between them and Jack picked up three balls and started to juggle them, much to Phryne’s delight. Pretty soon, he and the group of clowns were all juggling together and got into a rhythm where they were tossing one out of several balls between them. It got faster and faster until Jack dropped one and all the clowns threw them up in the air and fell on the ground laughing. Phryne couldn’t resist the pun, and she said with a twinkle in her eye, “Oh, Jack, it’s not like _you_ to drop the ball.” He looked at her for a moment, breathing rapidly and then waggled his eyebrows and started to laugh again, she joined in.

They picked up two balls and were tossing them between their hands while walking towards another booth. Just then, John’s two kids came running towards them. They returned the balls to the booth and the operator said “Hold on a moment” then asked them to lean over a bit, they looked at each other and then leaned in, whereby they got a small, red, rubber ball popped onto their noses – “for playing with the clowns!” They laughed and then the kids tugged at their sleeves. They turned around and made a face for them then pulled off the noses and gave them to the kids to play with. The kids put them on their own noses and ran off. Jack and Phryne smiled as John and Emily walked up to them.

“We were going to join the kids in the play rooms, want to come along?” Jack heard the strains of a new song begin and said, “Sure John, but first I want to dance with this beautiful lady here.” John nudged Emily and said, “Well, in _that_ case, I think we’ll join you!” The music swelled and they all danced, even changing partners for a moment. John and Emily both thanked Jack and Phryne again as they danced. Emily said, “She’s quite unique, Jack, no wonder you enjoy her company. You look happy.” Jack gave her a twirl and winked at her, with a big grin. Before he handed her back, John said, “I’ve never seen him this happy, Phryne. Whatever you two are doing, it’s certainly good for you both. My wife just adores him and you too! She doesn’t get to make real friends very often, I suspect you both may have found, what do you call it, a mate?” Phryne laughed and Jack looked over. John twirled her over to him and said, “Don’t get jealous ole buddy, she’s all in one piece.” They finished the dance and wandered across the hall to see what was going on in the playrooms.

 

John’s girl, Alice, who was nine, had gone to the room with the Merry-go-Round and she and her brother were riding round and round, having just gotten off the slides. Alice giggled and said that the Nanny had told her that sliding “like that” wasn’t very ladylike. “Mommy, I was only going down backwards.” She and Todd ran off to get the cards they had made for John. Emily said to Phryne, “She has always been precocious, but she’s an especially bright and curious child, so we try to give her choices so she can make up her own mind, I have a feeling she’s going to push the bounds of propriety as she grows up. But then so did I.” Phryne chuckled, “Me too!” Jack had heard this and leaned into Phryne, whispering into her ear, “You still do.”

Meanwhile, Todd, who was seven, declared that he wanted to go play games with the “men!” They all went over to the other game room where John and Emily showed Todd how to bowl. Jack and Phryne took up a game of table tennis and eventually had to declare it even, as neither one could get a score off the other. They wandered over to the train set and then sat down to play checkers. “Not a ‘putter,’ Jack?”

“I never took up Golf. There was never time when I was in college and of course, I couldn’t during the war, or when I got back. Besides, I like the movement of Tennis better. Golf can be too, constricting.”

Phryne smiled as she jumped two checkers. “I couldn’t see you in argyles and a baggy golf cap anyway – not nearly dashing enough for you!”

He grinned, “And what _do_ you see me wearing, Miss Fisher?” As leading as the question was, Phryne didn’t take the bait. She just focused on the game with a devilish grin on her face. As if she was thinking thoughts she was not saying. Jack could read her mind and had to turn away as he feared he would blush. She finally looked up innocently and said, “Cricket Flannels.”

 

The Robertson family returned from their adventures and said they were heading over to get their photo taken – while everyone was still in one piece. Jack and Phryne joined them, but stopped in the hall as a game of “water in the spoon” started. They decided to join the game and said they’d see them later. Speed walking side by side, Jack and Phryne got most of their water into the glasses at the end of the course, but were outdone by a grandmotherly woman who managed to get all of the water into the glass. As everyone applauded, she said, “this is how we used to get water from our well during droughts – well, the spoons were a mite bigger.” She laughed with an infectious laugh that had everybody applauding.

Jack and Phryne danced again and he asked her if she wanted to get a photo taken. She declined but said that she would join in with John’s family if they wanted it. “I have a lot of pictures of myself, Jack, unless you would like one with the two of us here. This is an American celebration; I think just one with John and his family will suffice. Besides, you promised me ‘S’more’ dessert. But not just yet.” She put her head on Jack’s shoulder during a slower tune and he held her as close as was proper for the occasion, enjoying the feel of her snuggling in to him. John saw them from across the room and tapped Emily on the shoulder - they smiled.

 

Eventually, they wandered over to the campfire area, seeing that it was empty for the moment. Boulders had been brought in and placed at various heights on small benches for the adults. Phryne took a seat as Jack got the Marshmallow sticks. “Have you ever done this before, Phryne?” “No, I haven’t, have you?” “Yes, I did this with my nephews last summer when they joined the Joeys. I consider it a truly valuable American import.” He grinned. “Want some help?” She smiled and nodded, enjoying the novelty of him helping her with something so basic. There was something intimate about it, sitting there partially screened by the trees. She felt relaxed and calm, almost drowsy.

Jack looked at her sitting there, waiting for him to show her how to make S’mores. It was so unlike her to allow him to do something like this for her. He wondered if she had an ulterior motive and then he looked at her closer and saw that she was simply relaxed and observing him. She seemed to welcome his attention in this way. He felt a wave of emotion come over him.

“So you put a big square of chocolate onto a Graham Cracker, with the other cracker at the ready, then you pierce the marshmallow like this and simply hold it over the “flames” until it gets brown and bubbly.” He held one over the grill to illustrate. “Then you put it on top of the chocolate and cover it with the cracker and press down lightly so the chocolate melts. Then you take a bite, but you have to be careful, or the goo will run out when you bite down. I prefer to break off a piece and eat it in smaller bites. Care for a bite?” He did as he was saying and then leaned over and waved the delicious smell under her nose. She opened her mouth and he placed it in, touching her lip as he let go. She closed her eyes and savored the flavors, then opened her eyes and grinned asking for S’more. That brought a grin to Jack’s face too. Watching her savor the treat was fascinating. She looked - he didn’t know what the look was - maybe rapturous. He broke off another piece and placed in her mouth again, but this time, she closed her mouth and caught his finger in it, lightly licking the tip as she let him go. Jack suppressed his sudden desire for her as he noticed that she wasn’t teasing him, she was simply enjoying the treat, although he seriously doubted that she was completely unconscious of what she was doing.

When he was done “feeding her,” he reached for another stick, but she brought her hand over his and said, “Let me do that, Jack, it’s my turn to let you enjoy this particular delight.” He cleared his throat and settled back, waiting to see what she would do. As they were in such a public space, he doubted she would do something outrageous, so he decided to trust her and enjoy the moment. She didn’t fail him. She made a perfect S’more, as if she had made them a thousand times before. The marshmallow was crispy and soft and delicious over the melting chocolate and soft cracker. It was a decadent delight and she fed it to him carefully, letting him choose how he wanted to react.

They both made another and ate it with relish, managing to not drop the gooeyness on themselves, which was a bit difficult as they were sitting in an odd position. Then they heard a group of children coming and got up, shaking crumbs out, “for the squirrels,” Phryne said with a grin.

 

When they left they ran into John and Emily, who asked them if they wanted to take a photo with their family. They headed over and the end result was a beautifully framed shot of John, Emily, Todd, Alice, Jack and Phryne looking happy and carefree. They photographer took several shots so that they could each have one.

As they walked out towards the Gazebo, they heard a drum roll as the band stopped playing. The Taffy maker came out; making an announcement that there was to be a Taffy Pull contest out in the hall. Everybody went out and it quickly became a battle of the sexes - men vs. women and girls vs. boys. Pulling and pulling as far as they could go back without collapsing the taffy, then wrapping end over end until a new center was formed - to be pulled again. Just as the confectioner was about to say enough, one of the women slipped and dropped her part. The men were declared the winners, though Phryne thought she saw the woman wink at her husband.

The children though jumped in and pulled with gusto. Their smaller hands firmly grasped the taffy as they backed up all the way to the end of the hall. The girls gathered up the center parts as they went, making it easier for them to come back to the new center without dropping it while the boys sent runners to the middle and glopped the whole thing together into one big lump for it to be pulled at again. It was a potentially messy process, but no one caused it to be a disaster.

Ultimately, the girls won the pull because of their organization. The boys were a bit sticky and their pull was not up to the “standards” of the taffy maker, so he declared the girls the winners and everybody was happy to take home a bag of fresh salt-water taffy.        

 

Although the children were still playing their games, they were getting tired and the guests were starting to mill around. Things were winding down and everyone was waiting to see if something else was to occur. John took his cue and called for everyone’s attention, reminding them that they could still get a photo taken if they had not and that they were welcome to take any “leftovers” with them in their gift hampers. Final acknowledgments, thank you’s, hugs and handshakes were made all around and the group started gathering their coats to depart. Jack made arrangements to see John and his family again after they returned from Auckland.

As Phryne was gathering her things, John’s daughter came up to her and said, quite formally, “Thank you so much for having us here, Miss Fisher. My father says that you and Mr. Robinson are the best people he has ever known. I’ve never heard him say that about anyone else, so I guess that makes you pretty special. I learned a lot about my father today that I never knew before. A lot of these people think that he’s pretty special too. I hope I’ll get to see you again someday. My brother and I hope that we can make a difference to people - like you and Mr. Robinson have made to us. I just wanted you to know that before we left. This has been the best Father’s Day ever.” Then she looked down at the floor shyly and back up. “And my brother wants me to tell you that he thinks you’re very pretty, I do too.”

Phryne knew no other way to acknowledge Alice than to lean down and give her a hug. She said, “Miss Robertson, I hope your father knows what a special girl you are too. You are welcome to visit me at any time and I’d like it if you wanted to write to me too and let me know how you are. Thank you for telling me and please thank your brother too!”              

 

Jack had driven her home via the water and pulled over to watch the sunset. He was in a happy, reflective mood, even feeling romantic. He had enjoyed having time together with Phryne - dancing and flirting and playing. Feeding her S’mores had been innocently erotic, but was a never to be forgotten moment.

Even though there were a lot of people there, they managed to have time to themselves without the constant interruptions they would have had at some other function or with people they knew. Everyone was involved with their families and had left them alone. They were able to just relax with each other. It was different than when they were at her house. It made him appreciate their relationship more.

Phryne had been relatively quiet all day, but he knew the festivities had made her think of her own family situation, maybe even about Janey. But she seemed to have had fun and she was certainly to be credited with making the event one for the record books. He doubted the Windsor would ever be the same. The thought made him smile.

He turned to her. She was looking out at the sunset - which was exceptionally beautiful - and had a small, satisfied smile on her face. “Did you enjoy yourself, Phryne?”

"I did, yes! In a way, it was cathartic for me. It was interesting to see how different families got on together. I know it was your idea originally Jack, but I appreciate you letting me create this. It wouldn’t have been half as beautiful if you hadn’t contributed all those trees and carpeting, I really think it made things perfect. I think people had a memorable Father’s Day. But I don’t know if the Windsor will ever be the same!”

Jack chuckled, “You know, I was just having that very same thought!” She smiled at him. “But I’m glad you brought the experience to them.

She was quiet for a minute and just when Jack was going to say something, she said, “and thank you.” He waited, raising a brow. “For letting down and showing me how you are when you are having fun. I really loved being there with you, Jack - you made it so much more enjoyable.”

He started to move towards her when she turned and put her finger to his lips. “And don’t think I missed the part about the S’mores. Very impressive, Jack!” She removed her finger and smiled at him. “Perhaps, S’more sometime?” It was his turn to smile.


End file.
